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High school sophomores urged to apply for free Early College programs in Muskegon, Newaygo counties

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High school sophomores in Muskegon and Newaygo counties are encouraged to apply for the Early College program that pays two years worth of tuition at Muskegon Community College while they earn their high school diplomas.
(MLive file photo)

MUSKEGON, MI -- High school sophomores don't have to be top
students to qualify for two years of free college tuition and intensive support
through Early College programs in Muskegon, Newaygo and Northern Ottawa counties.

Current sophomores are encouraged to apply for the program
that pays the cost of them attending classes at Muskegon Community College to earn 62 credits -- the amount typically needed for an associate's degree -- while simultaneously earning their high school diploma.

Students begin the program in their junior year, and attend a fifth year of high school, though classes that year are
taken at the college. They are allowed to participate in high school commencement with
the rest of their classmates after their fourth year of high school.

In Muskegon County, the deadline for applications is Feb. 21. Applications
should be available in high school counseling offices and can also be downloaded
from the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District website, www.muskegonisd.org.

Early College also is offered to Newaygo County students as well as students in Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Coopersville and Allendale. Applications for those programs, which have a March 3 deadline, can be downloaded
from the MCC website, www.muskegoncc.edu.

The Early College application includes a required essay, and
the student's grade point average must be at least 2.2. Each public school
district in Muskegon County has a guaranteed percentage of openings, of which there are a total of
100. Local school committees rank students based on a scoring rubric that measures
such categories as progress toward high school graduation, the essay, results
of an interview with the student, risk factors and test scores.

MAISD Superintendent Dave Sipka noted that many Early
College students are the first in their family to attend college.

"In addition to preparing more highly educated students to
enter our workforce, we are opening doors for those teens whose families
struggle financially," Sipka said.

Muskegon County's Early College program, begun in 2012, is jointly
operated by the MAISD and Muskegon Community College. It is open to public,
private and homeschool students who begin the program with a special camp the
summer before their junior year. Currently, there are more than 125 students in
the program, with the first 46 expected to graduate in June 2015.

Early
College's offer to students to save time and money is "a
powerful motivator for students to work hard and meet serious intellectual challenges,"
said MCC President Dale Nesbary.

Students take a
few college courses during the first semester/trimester of their junior year
and gradually add more classes into their schedules. By their fifth
year in high school, they attend their courses on the college campus. The costs --
including registration and textbook fees -- are paid by high schools, which collect per-pupil
state aid for the students.

Early College students receive
intensive support from Early College staff and are offered tutoring and other
assistance.

"There is a big adjustment
in balancing both high school and college and we are able to support students
and help them on their journey toward success," said Erin Patrick, dean of the
Early College program in Muskegon County.